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8
PRESTO
sales organization? Where are the competent salesmen who have
become more than "traveling men" by making themselves personal
friends and practical helpers of the customers of the industries who
employ them? And where are the capable retail salesmen who, by
their success, have proved their ability to "deliver the goods" even
when trade is dull?
We know of many piano salesmen, in both wholesale and retail
trade, who are being retained in their old places, even if only to "clean
up" or to repossess. But we also know of good men who have been
"let out" and have gone into other lines of trade, the automobile
catching some of the best of them.
It's a mistake on the part of any piano manufacturer, to be badly
oversold. The roadmen should look after that. And it's bad for any
retail piano house to be "sold out" along similar lines. It is bad for
either, or both, to permit the organization to disintegrate. "When
the pendulum swings back will it find you prepared to wage battle
with competition—and win?"
AN ENGLISH ESTIMATE
A few years ago there came to this country a mountebank
musician who composed freak dance music for a band of Russian
contortionists, and played his music in public. The musician was
skilled in his art and possessed a slick gift of literary gab. Conse-
quently he found amusement and also some monetary satisfaction,
in writing slanderous letters about "Music in America" to a London
musical monthly. When the wandering musician's slanders became
offensive Presto mildly rebuked the composer of tinkling terpsicho-
rean trash, and hinted that while the snaring of American dollars by
British musicians was well enough the chase should not also include
abuse of the very people who yield up the golden harvest.
And then came a number of very indignant communications to
the office of this trade paper, some of them from writers who are not
supposed to sink beneath the azure-tinted cloudlands of this highest
art. And it was by them indignantly proclaimed that what this paper
had said about Mr. Holbrooke, the English musician, and his letters
to the London "Musical Observer," was the result of a dense and
sinister sort of ignorance.
At about that time the greatest of all countries stepped in to
settle the war—and did it. Of course that was the time in which to
cease criticism of Mr. Holbrooke, and that gentleman realized also
that it was the time for him to cease slandering American musicians
and the American people. Consequently his letters no longer ap-
peared in the London musical magazine.
But Mr. Holbrooke had succeeded in saying things so much more
unfair than anything his countryman Charles Dickens had said, and
apologized for, that he could not be wholly forgotten. Nor has he
stepped writing in a way to stir protest even in his own country,
as the following from the latest edition of London "Music" shows.
This article is headed "Mr. Holbrooke's Humbug."
It is a matter for regret that a journal of any standing should allow its
columns to be abused by printing gross misstatements of fact on music mat-
STANDARD INDUSTRIAL FILM
NOW READY FOR DEALERS
Picture First Presented at the Music Show Now
Being Released for Exhibitions.
The industrial moving- picture film. "Give a
Thought to Music," which had its premier at the
recent Music Show, is now being released for ex-
hibitions by the dealers in their own territory. This
innovation in advertising is still another addition to
the advertising service of the Standard Pneumatic
Action Company to the dealer.
Severat prints of this film are now available and
are being supplied upon request so that the dealer
may have the film shown at his local moving pic-
ture theatre. Those who have seen this picture will
realize that it is one moving picture exhibitors all
over the country will be glad to show. Its master-
ful treatment of the history of the piano and its
instructive revelations of the principals of player-
piano manufacture make this a film which moving
picture spectators will appreciate. Tn addition a
special stereopticon slide, featuring the moving
picture, is being made for use in conjunction with
the moving picture. Dealers all over the country
will realize that this industrial film offers them an
ideal way in which to get some unique publicity.
It affords the dealer an opportunity to present to
almost the entire population of his territory the
desirability of the playerpiano.
The success of "Give a Thought to Music" during
February 26, 1920.
ters by Mr. Holbrooke. Here is one deliberate perversion of the truth in a
diatribe against critics printed in the Sunday Evening Telegram. Says Mr.
Holbrooke: "Another new opera floated not long ago by Mr. Gatty. Not one
word have I read in any journal of the performances." Surely the editor of
the journal mentioned ought to have realized that a statement of this kind
was a grave one to make, and that it was scarcely likely a new British opera
would be ignored by the press. The facts are that nearly every leading pa-
per wrote highly favorable notices of the work. The writer of this page met
the composer a few days after and found him quite delighted with his press
notices.
Now, why does Mr. Holbrooke try to make out that Mr. Gatty was a
victim of the critics' indifference to British music? There are other similar
misstatements in the rest of the article, and I repeat that no decent journal
should print such statements without regard to the known facts.
It hardly seems necessary for "Music" to ask why Mr. Holbrooke
indulges in misstatements. He can't help it. It's not only a habit. He
was born that way. And all of this about a skilled musician might
not seem necessary, or even advisable in a trade paper, if Mr. Hol-
brooke hadn't also mixed up in affairs of the piano itself during his
visit to the United States.
The big snow blockade in New York put a temporary stop to
piano trade activities. In a discussion of the troubles of Gotham, Mr.
Paul B. Klugh, of the Autopiano Company, said that the "greatest
snowstorm since 1888 which New Ycrk has suffered during the last
two weeks, paralyzed all sorts of traffic and particularly the use of
heavy trucks. This situation naturally further handicapped an already
disagreeable complication in the piano district, making it almost
impossible to get goods to the railroad, on top of which for several
days there was a positive railroad embargo." Things are now straight-
ened out, however, and old New York is again all right.
* * *
A concert program from a large western city bears the note that
the instrument used was a Haddorff grand. The line is one that is
becoming quite frequent in connection with artist's recitals. And
members of the trade who are familiar with the Haddorff pianos have
come to realize that a new claimant for the higher order of pianistic
attention has arrived. The Haddorff is a leader in many prominent
piano houses because it possesses the qualities that entitle it to leader-
ship.
New York City has experienced a winter storm of the kind the
great Northwest has been supposed to have something of a monopoly
upon. And, to show how aptly even a blizzard may be turned to good
advertising account, an Ampico display in the Sun and New York
Herald of last Sunday was headed by the line "Music Laughs at
Stormy Days." The adv. is so good that the text is reprinted in an-
other place.
* * *
The name of Cable is now unique in the fact that three large
piano industries exist, each of which is a monument to the energies
and ambitions of one of the three brothers who have passed away,
leaving the results of their genius to posterity. There is nowhere a
parallel!, we believe, in any line of industry.
its rim of the week of the Music Show was satisfac-
tory in every way. It is estimated that nearly 30,000
people saw this picture during the week, which,
considering the weather conditions, is remarkably
good attendance. The theatre in Booth 225 was
crowded continually during the last two days and
many people unfortunately were not able to see the
picture on these evenings.
Dealers selling playerpianos equipped with Stand-
ard Player Action who desire to use this film can
obtain a booking by application directly to the
Standard Pneumatic Action Company, 52nd street
and 12th avenue, New York Citv.
F. F. STORY IN CALIFORNIA.
Frank F. Story, vice-president and treasurer of
the Story & Clark Piano Company, Chicago, left
tor southern California on Tuesday evening of this
week. His family will stay at Pasadena for the
next tw r o months, and Mr. Story will probably come
back to Chicago in three or four weeks and then
return to California for them. E. M. Love, secre-
tary of the company, will be in charge of the offices
during Mr. Story's absence.
ENLARGES PLAYER DEPARTMENT.
The Gardner-Hohlfeldt Music Co., Mitchell, S. D.,
has taken over the store adjoining the one occupied
in the Beckwith Block. The company, which fea-
tures the product of The Cable Co., Chicago, will
install additional rooms for the demonstration of
playerpianos.
J. H. WILLIAMS ENTERTAINS
SALESMEN IN BALTIMORE
President of the Knabe Warerooms, Inc., Ably
Aided by George W. Pound.
The Knabe Warerooms, Inc., Baltimore, Md.,
J. H. Williams, president, tendered their salesmen
at the Baltimore and Washington warerooms a
"banquet recently at the Southern Hotel, which
was attended by upward of iifty men. Following
the feast Mr. Williams gave an interesting resume
of the activities of the warerooms in the two cities,,
in which he showed a remarkable increase in sales
of pianos and other musical instruments during
the last year.
The principal address was delivered by George
W. Pound, general counsel for the Music Indus-
tries Chamber of Commerce, who declared that
the day of opportunity for music and things musi-
cal was at hand and that at the present time no
nation of the world was making better musical in-
struments than was America.
Those present at the dinner were, in addition to
Mr. Williams and Mr. Pound: Edwin Williams,
Leonard Davis, Charles D. Fenhagen, George K.
Dowd, L T. Haebler, H. Kennedy, Charles Sam-
balino, James Boschcr. Stianley Averill, Frank
Tragger, Evan Ulrich, Miles Brinkley, William R.
Sanders and H. W. Matthews, all of the Baltimore
offices, and Maynard Allen, J. Merrill, Glenn Car-
ter, Ray Dow, William Daniels, Richard Montague
and T. W. Terwilligcr, of the Washington offices.
Enhanced content © 2008-2009 and presented by MBSI - The Musical Box Society International (www.mbsi.org) and the International Arcade Museum (www.arcade-museum.com).
All Rights Reserved. Digitized from the archives of the MBSI with support from NAMM - The International Music Products Association (www.namm.org).
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